The Return
by Jazzola
Summary: Daphne returns to Fred after leaving him during the 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo. There will be shock revelations for her when she finds out what has happened while she has been away. F/D, rated T to be on the safe side.


This is written after the 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo, when Daphne decides to return to Freddy, deciding that she wants him back in her life after abandoning him cruelly.

Daphne felt strangely awkward as she walked towards the house that had been pointed out. She had brushed her hair back into its old style, and had been surprised at the difference. Somehow she looked prettier.

The house was small, a little tarnished, and with the Mystery Machine outside. A lump rose in Daphne's throat at the sight of the old van. It looked to be in much better condition than the house. Looking into one of the windows, she could see that there was very little in there, just a small sofa and a TV and a shelf of sports trophies marking out the lounge. Her heart skipped as she saw a picture of herself on top of the TV, and wondered how much he had missed her. The picture was the only thing in the room not covered in a fine layer of dust.

There was nothing else for it. She reached out and rang the bell.

No response. She rang it again.

After a second, a voice called, "Just a minute…" and Daphne had to suppress a sob as she recognized it. Freddy's voice. Clear and pure and so recognizably him.

After twenty seconds (she was counting) the door opened. Freddy stood on the step just inside, clearly just out of bed; although he was dressed, his hair was tousled and there was a tiny amount of bristle on his chin.

He looked at her. And grabbed the door to stop himself falling back in shock.

"D-Daphne?"

She smiled.

"Freddy."

He shook his head a little, clearly wondering if he was dreaming.

"You're not dreaming."

He could only stare at her, his eyes wide and disbelieving, unable to believe that she had come back after all this time.

"Freddy, I know. I abandoned you. I've hated myself every day for it. All I want is to be with you again. I'm sorry that I ever left you. Please don't close the door on me, even though it's probably what I would do to me. I just want to talk with you. Please, can I come in?"

He sighed quietly.

"Yes."

He stood back and let her go in. She looked round. It was almost bare.

"Um…"

She turned and saw Freddy struggling to find anything to say.

"Actually, Daphne, I… I need to say something. Before you say anything."

She nodded.

"What?"

"I- I've actually got a girlfriend. Since you left. She doesn't live here, but she was meant to be coming in a few minutes…"

Daphne's stomach fell into her shoes, but then she saw the look on Freddy's face.

Before she even had time to draw breath, he had rushed forward and pulled her into a hug.

"Freddy…"

"I just… I didn't mean it to happen… I just thought you had left for ever…"

A tear soaked its way into Freddy's shoulder, and she realised it was one of hers. He hadn't told her that to get her to leave. He had simply told her that so that she knew it. A fire began in Daphne's chest. He wanted her- not this other girl- he wanted _her_-

She reached forwards and put one hand under his chin. He looked into her eyes, and braced himself to speak.

"I've got to say this before I burst. I don't- I don't want her as much as I want you. I just thought- you didn't want me- that you left me for ever…"

"I would never do that," Daphne whispered, tears coursing down her face freely. She leaned forwards and kissed him, on the lips.

There was a knock on the door.

Freddy spun round, his expression changing to alarm.

"That's her- that's Jen-"

Daphne managed to make out that Jen had long dark hair before Freddy opened the door.

"Jen-"

"Fred? What's happening? Who were you talking with?"

Freddy looked so torn Daphne rushed forwards.

"I'm Daphne Blake. He was talking with me. I don't know if Freddy ever said anything about me, but-"

"You're the girl he went out with before," Jen said, her eyes glittering. "The girl he said had abandoned him. So you've come crawling back to take him away from me, have you?"

Daphne saw red and made to move forwards, but Freddy stopped her with one arm. He turned to Jen.

"You remember what I said before? That if Daphne came back, I would- I would turn her away? I didn't mean it. I never meant it. I just-"

"You're breaking up with me," Jen said, her eyes turning red. "You're dropping me for _her_? She broke up with you, broke your heart, you were drinking, you were so unsure of anything, and I helped you- and this is the thanks I get?"

"Jen- please. Hear me out. The drinking- that wasn't because of Daphne. That was me being an idiot. I did love you, at first, but now- I should have said before now. I don't want to- I'm- I'm breaking up with you."

Jen glared at him, then turned and ran back up the path. Freddy shut the door and leaned against it, breathing hard.

"Freddy?"

His eyes were closed, but he opened them at the sound of Daphne's voice.

"Talk to me."

He sank down, sliding down the door until he was sitting on the carpet. Daphne sat next to him.

"What did she mean, you were drinking?"

"I- I wasn't myself for a while after you left. I was drinking, and it was because of you. When I was drinking, I didn't think of you. That was the logic behind it. It was stupid, and it made me ill. Really ill. That was how I met Jen- I collapsed, about a month after you left. It was drink-induced. That much I remember. I don't remember that much about it all, but Jen was in the same situation. She was drinking too. Nobody thought I was going to live after I collapsed. I got the medical reports when I left hospital. Twenty percent I would live. She did help then. My parents were angry, and I can see why. One minute, everything was fine, the next I had ruined everything. They told me that I had to change, or they would disown me. It was an empty threat, but I didn't know that then. They refused to help me until I stopped drinking and was out of hospital. So Jen helped me. She fell in love with me. Briefly, I loved her. But when I was out of hospital, she changed. I didn't want her any more. She just wasn't the girl I fell for. I'd been meaning to break it up for a week before today. I was an idiot. I let myself go for a while, and I didn't even mean to- I'd told myself I would just find a new girl, but then I went on a night out with some friends and we were all drinking, and I realised that drinking made me forget, and I thought it was good. Of course I knew the dangers. I knew that if I got addicted, I might die. I didn't care. I nearly got into trouble with the police a couple of times. Two nights running. I guess it would have been drunk and disorderly, even though I was only one of a group of people. I never came into physical contact with the police, but they threatened to arrest me. One of my friends was arrested, and when I sobered up I thought that if I got drunk at home, I would avoid any trouble. I lost my job because I got hooked, and it bankrupted me, I barely had anything left, but I kept drinking, at home, and then it all came to a head and I collapsed. I have no idea what happened to actually bring that on, but Mitchell heard about my friend being arrested and he knew I was drinking, so he came into my house to see if I was here, and he found me about an hour after I collapsed and called an ambulance. That's all that happened since you left. I became an idiot, a drunk, only because I hated myself and I thought it was my fault that you left."

His explanation, however confused, had helped Daphne understand.

"Freddy- why didn't anyone tell me?"

He looked up, confused.

"They did. Mitchell."

Daphne pulled her phone out, suddenly realising. The message from the number she didn't know- she had thought it was a prank.

"daph- u need 2 cm bak, 4 freddy. i dnt no hw mch lnger he cn hold out. hes in truble bg time. i wont say any mor, bt if u culd cm bak, u wuld save him. m."

She stared at Freddy.

"That was sent on the fifteenth."

"I collapsed on the sixteenth."

"Why didn't I come back? I should have realised it wasn't a prank! I could have stopped you collapsing. Are there any permanent effects of you collapsing?"

"I can't drink alcohol. Not in the quantities I used to drink it in. A glass, maybe, but not much. I don't care. I swore never to get drunk again. And this."

He pushed up a section of his fringe to reveal a huge scar, jagged and thick, clearly from a bad injury.

"I collapsed while I was holding a wine bottle. It smashed and I fell onto the shards. I have no idea how it looked, but I would guess pretty horrific. Another ten minutes and I would have bled to death. There were a few cuts on my side, too."

"Do you mind?"

Daphne needed to see, to put her mind at rest. He shook his head and indicated where they were, and she gently lifted his t-shirt and looked. There were seven jagged lines on his torso, thickly scarred and the same kind of thing as the cut on his forehead. Daphne gently traced the longest one, thankful that they didn't show up much on his pale skin.

"Freddy, I'm sorry. This is my fault. I should have come back when Mitchell sent that text, I should have realised it was him."

He shook his head.

"You didn't make me start drinking. That was my decision. I just couldn't cope. That was me."

She pushed herself forwards and hugged him hard, pressing her body against his, and kissed him over and over, wishing that she had done this sooner.

"Can you forgive me? For leaving you?"

"I did long ago."

"Oh…"

Daphne shook her head to try and clear it, trying not to think of what she felt she had put him through, and ran her fingers gently through his messy hair, flattening it a little.

"You should have contacted me somehow."

"And say what? That I was drinking myself into insanity and that you needed to come back and stop me?"

She smiled.

"I guess. Why did you keep all this from me? I want to know if anything happens to you. Something as big as this- I want to know the day it happens."

He smiled back, and she stood up and helped him stand.


End file.
